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NEIGHBORHOOD POLITICS — A tenant at 171 S. Burlington Avenue in the Westlake District was evicted from their apartment today after failing to pay rent, according to a spokesman for the property managers, FML Management Co.

“We regret having to take this action, but the tenant in this unit failed to pay rent for seven months and we were forced to go to court to obtain an order to have the tenant removed through the due process of the law after a jury ruled in our favor,” said a spokesperson for the FML Management.

The spokesperson said the company provided professional movers to assist the tenant and to store any belongings if they did not already have a location to deliver their belongings.

The evicted tenant was part of a group of approximately 80 units who have refused to pay rent in three buildings at 131, 143, and 171 S. Burlington Ave., Los Angeles, since March 2018. While most of the buildings’ 250 units are paying their rent, the property management company has taken legal action to remove the non-paying tenants.

Residents of the buildings had received little or no rent increase from the property since 2008 and were notified by property management of rent increases in February of this year. The increase brought the buildings’ rent to the HUD average 2018 rental rate and are below the market-rate for the area, according to FML.

FML wrote a note to building residents and thanked them for paying their rent and sharing mutual respect. “We value you as residents here and appreciate your continued support. We are proud of our buildings and the maintenance and management staff who serve you,” the letter to residents noted.

The management company said false and misleading claims have been made by non-rent paying tenants about the condition of the building. The spokesperson said the “vast majority of residents are very pleased with the apartment buildings, their quality, upkeep and safety.”

The FML spokesperson said a building manager lives onsite and that property maintenance workers respond promptly to issues from residents.

(This report was provided CityWatch by FML Management. Comments from evicted tenants were not included.)